That's my mate Ray Harrison and Mal Robertson in the Alfa. Engineered by Benincas if my memory is correct
Ray was areal hard charger later drove an RX3 with Mazda Australia backing co driver was Craig Bradtke. That year they came second at Adelaide second at Bathurst and I think third at the Island after leading for most of the race. Alternator lead fell off and we ran out of electricity. Funny about that.

I still think that that is one of the highest front wheel lifts through the Dipper of all time.

That's my mate Ray Harrison and Mal Robertson in the Alfa. Engineered by Benincas if my memory is correctRay was areal hard charger later drove an RX3 with Mazda Australia backing co driver was Craig Bradtke. That year they came second at Adelaide second at Bathurst and I think third at the Island after leading for most of the race. Alternator lead fell off and we ran out of electricity. Funny about that.

I still think that that is one of the highest front wheel lifts through the Dipper of all time.

CheersPeter Sneddon

Yeah, when you really look at it, he's got a fair bit of air under there.

The photo of the inverted Viva at Murray's shown earlier was taken during Saturday practice. ...The Viva 58A received some minor panel damage and a replacement screen after it gently tripped over the first time on Saturday arvo. ...

Charlie Smith at the Bathurst 500 in 1963 doing a quick wheel change after co-driver Ron Hodgson had fenced it, no safety cars then !

Murray's corner was covered in debris, and if you managed to get a bit wide, very slippery.

With all this talk of 'inversions', I feel I should get in first, and 'fess-up'. I managed to put 57A Beetle on its side, during my dice with Fred Gibson.

The rules were such that no outside help was allowed, so [with the help of adrenalin?] I somehow managed to get the Beetle off the fence, and back on its wheels - all 10 stone of me. Into the pits for a quick check, then back into it......without dropping a place.

At the end of the race, Rex Ellis [he was the entrant, under Macquarie Motors, Bathurst] remarked "How come there's a big dent in the roof?"

Hi Guys;
Just a little addition to Greg,s last post.
Rex Ellis used to live about a quarter way down Con Rod.
(Basically a couple of houses below the Light Car Club.)
His driveway used to be used as a Sector Point and to park a Fire Tender and Ambulance.
In the late 60's and early 70,s it was a VERY popular place to be sent as an official.
Reason 1, Mrs. Ellis was a brilliant cook and you were fed on beautiful food basically on the hour.
Reason 2, The Ellis's had two daughters who were both student nurses in Sydney.
Not really sure but they were either at Royal Norh Shore or Price Alfred.
But that weekend they used to bring a heap of their mates up to stay for the weekend.
Used to do us young Fire Marshals and Flaggies no end of good.
Ahhh:
Memories of an Old Bloke.
Cheers.
Roger.

Hi Guys;Just a little addition to Greg,s last post.Rex Ellis used to live about a quarter way down Con Rod.(Basically a couple of houses below the Light Car Club.)His driveway used to be used as a Sector Point and to park a Fire Tender and Ambulance.In the late 60's and early 70,s it was a VERY popular place to be sent as an official. Reason 1, Mrs. Ellis was a brilliant cook and you were fed on beautiful food basically on the hour.Reason 2, The Ellis's had two daughters who were both student nurses in Sydney.Not really sure but they were either at Royal Norh Shore or Price Alfred.But that weekend they used to bring a heap of their mates up to stay for the weekend. Used to do us young Fire Marshals and Flaggies no end of good. Ahhh:Memories of an Old Bloke. Cheers.Roger.

Murray's corner was covered in debris, and if you managed to get a bit wide, very slippery.

With all this talk of 'inversions', I feel I should get in first, and 'fess-up'. I managed to put 57A Beetle on its side, during my dice with Fred Gibson.

The rules were such that no outside help was allowed, so [with the help of adrenalin?] I somehow managed to get the Beetle off the fence, and back on its wheels - all 10 stone of me. Into the pits for a quick check, then back into it......without dropping a place.

At the end of the race, Rex Ellis [he was the entrant, under Macquarie Motors, Bathurst] remarked "How come there's a big dent in the roof?"

Fabulous story Greg, maybe you should try and emulate the feat in Easter 2013???

That's my mate Ray Harrison and Mal Robertson in the Alfa. Engineered by Benincas if my memory is correctRay was areal hard charger later drove an RX3 with Mazda Australia backing co driver was Craig Bradtke. That year they came second at Adelaide second at Bathurst and I think third at the Island after leading for most of the race. Alternator lead fell off and we ran out of electricity. Funny about that.

I still think that that is one of the highest front wheel lifts through the Dipper of all time.

CheersPeter Sneddon

That Alfa in the early 80s was run in AROCA sprints by the brother of the guy who know owns the ex Bond Alfa GTV V6 race car.It was restored and painted a dark garnet colour with tan leather trim,is it the car now raced in Group C historics?

No I'm not calling the bluff on that Alfa but I thought it was pretty much destroyed by Frank Porter a couple of years later at PI. I think the accident occurred at the top just after the Hay Shed.
I will check out my old Touring Car books and the Auto Actions of the time and see what I find.
Cheers
Peter

You look at that piece of footage of the Viva rolling and the roof flattening and it still chills me. Lucky bloke to get out unscathed. And a few years later the Bill Brown HO cutting itself in half, equally scarey, and a damn sight faster. Then Kevins infamous roll in the Camaro. The cars got a lot stronger. The Chev looked fine apart from dents and that split Simmons. not quite as violent as Bill Browns maybe but still very hard.Though watching the front clip flex was intersting.
The modern crashes look very spectacular, Coulthards a year or two ago was huge, but partly because all the panels fell off.
You see you did not build the Chev light enough Kevin.

No I'm not calling the bluff on that Alfa but I thought it was pretty much destroyed by Frank Porter a couple of years later at PI. I think the accident occurred at the top just after the Hay Shed.I will check out my old Touring Car books and the Auto Actions of the time and see what I find.CheersPeter

Your correct Peter,I'm getting it confused with the Gil Gordon car,which i think now runs in group C?

Your correct Peter,I'm getting it confused with the Gil Gordon car,which i think now runs in group C?

Yes, only two Group C 105 Series GTVs still exist, to my knowledge.

Her are a couple of pics of the two restored Gil Gordon Alfas at the recent Geelong Revival.

The second photo shows original driver Graham "Shorty" Harrison and the larger than life Gil Gordon on the Saturday. On the Sunday the other original driver Wayne Renfry turned up. He hadn't seen the car in 36 years... ]

Paul,is the above 105 car the one that was for many years painted in a dark garnet colour with tan leather?
in the early 80s i hads the car C.Blanden now has ...sold to his brother Tim,is that the other car ,105 that still is around?

Paul,is the above 105 car the one that was for many years painted in a dark garnet colour with tan leather?in the early 80s i hads the car C.Blanden now has ...sold to his brother Tim,is that the other car ,105 that still is around?

The 105 GTV had been painted back to its original colour, which was Pino Verde (Pine Green) when the current owner bought it. I think it would have originally had a light coloured trim, but I think it is now dark. I really can't remember off hand.

Yes, the other GTV is the ex-Bell Foley GTV that belongs to Chris Blanden. The original shell (or what was left of it) has been restored up here in the Southern Highlands south of Sydney.

Hey, so was I! Didn't quite go on to achieve what that Brock guy did though...

Mini number 110 if you happen to see a photo Lynton!

Remember being overtaken (while towing my Mini with clapped out 52 Chev) on the Hay plains by Aunger towing his Mustang. He was doing a good 40 m.p.h more than me, would have been similar on the straight at Oran Park if we had been in the same race...

And now, in reply to the request above, we present Mini number 110,in several photos, of moderate quality (to say the least.....but here nevertheless) including the close-up at the end, where the car was traveling so fast,that vast clouds of smoke erupted from the front tyres, & in fact, so rapidly,that I was completely unable to keep up with it, & missed the front of the car!!

The rest of you, please scan the photos for any other points of interest you may see,but all the while admiring the star of the show!!

Talking to Mildren is Stewart Randall, the other one beside the car is Bob Grange. With his foot on the rear wheel of Matich's car is Graham Matich. I think you'll find this is the start of the Examiner Trophy on Saturday afternoon, the third row of the grid.

The red car just visible behind these is the doomed Rocky Tresise Cooper, the young fellow standing alongside of it is probably the late Anthony Davison, eldest of Lex's sons and the one to carry the Davison name to that race meeting.

If you have the first row (P Hill and Clark are the second row), it will have McLaren on pole, Brabham and G Hill in it.

I think I'd like to see more of this selection, Kevin! Slow on the uptake Ray but the two characters standing behind Frank's car are Garry Smedley (in red shirt) and Bob Ford my minder in 1965, 'just for the records'.....Smed.

And now, in reply to the request above, we present Mini number 110,in several photos, of moderate quality (to say the least.....but here nevertheless) including the close-up at the end, where the car was traveling so fast,that vast clouds of smoke erupted from the front tyres, & in fact, so rapidly,that I was completely unable to keep up with it, & missed the front of the car!!

The rest of you, please scan the photos for any other points of interest you may see,but all the while admiring the star of the show!!

Yes, I remember Kevin Fisher well enough, but I thought his car was a mid-blue which wouldn't show as one of these shades of grey here... but I might be wrong...

And I'm sure you mean Wandandian.

Ray I will have to employ you as my resident spell checker

I remember that the Fisher 1500 had a very nice chrome extractor system & was the top U1500cc car until the Cortina came along, he had many fine races in the Fiat at Catalina Park, for the life of me I can not remember the colour but do remember it was the fastest of the Fiat 1500 in NSW at the time.

I had a couple of Fiats in the 60,s a Fiat 1100 TV and a MK 2 1500. The 1500 was a great car for the time, good brakes , handling wasn,t to bad once you tied the back suspension down and fitted track rods, it had a very willing 1500cc motor and a snappy 4 speed column shift. I had some sponsorship from Willys Motors in Melbourne, they are no longer around. The Fiat was quite quick, but just a little to heavy, and that is were the Ford Cortina,s had the edge. Harry Firth also drove one in some touring car races. Cheers Simmo.

Can't confirm year but 90% sure this is Bill at W Farm - any feedback to the contrary welcome of course. Not a great shot, but a shot nonetheless.Lynton, that's a very rare shot of Manny Xuereb. I tried searching for his son a few years back with no success at all - I'll try and dig up his contact details.Great shots as always too.

One of Bills newsagents was in Top Ryde ,a good friend Steven Davis used to work at the shop .And tell a story of on day Bill took him for a ride in the old Porsche and he still to this day cannot believe the speed he did .
Bill was at Eastern Creek a few years back he still much the same.

Re the interview: Is 'Homebush' a Porsche driver's euphemism for 'The Brickies'?

Wirra, I suspect that Homebush was "Brickies" but can't confirm same. Ray Bell is well informed - he may help. As I remember ( similarly to you ) Brickies was the closest to organised motor sport in that part of the world................

However, Bill drove the P4 well as this pic at Warwick Farm indicates.